The wage inflation tax proposed by Sushil Wadhwani (‘Time for the UK to tax inflation’ 5 September) would be inappropriate, impractical, and ineffective. It would be inappropriate because it would prevent markets from working properly. The wages paid by each company to each employee, like the prices of any other good or service, should be … Continue reading Letter to the FT on proposals for a ‘wage inflation tax’
Category: Fiscal Policy
Three big calls that Liz Truss got right
The all too brief premiership of Liz Truss began a year ago this week. The first anniversary is another good chance to reflect not just on what went wrong, but also on what she got right. (As a supporter of ‘Trussonomics’, I feel responsible as well.) There were two big mistakes. One was to underestimate … Continue reading Three big calls that Liz Truss got right
How valuable is ‘public sector net worth’?
Public finance geeks have been even more excited than usual about the latest statistical bulletin from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which includes new data on a balance sheet aggregate known as ‘public sector net worth’. What is this, and why does it matter? Public sector net worth, or PSNW, is a relatively comprehensive … Continue reading How valuable is ‘public sector net worth’?
What the IMF is really saying about interest rates
The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook has received more attention than usual, thanks to some eye-catching work on the long-term trend in interest rates. This has prompted headlines ranging from “Ultra-low interest rates will return in Britain, IMF says” in the Telegraph, to “New IMF prediction is good news for homeowners” in the Mirror. So … Continue reading What the IMF is really saying about interest rates
Plain-speaking Economics 